The Mercury 13

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For readers of The Astronaut Wives Club, this book reveals the little-known true story of remarkable women who trained for NASA space flight. In 1961, as NASA launched its first man into space, a group of women underwent secret testing to become America’s first female astronauts. They passed the same rigorous tests at the Lovelace Foundation as the Mercury 7 astronauts but were dismissed by the male-dominated NASA and Congress. While the USSR sent its first woman into space in 1963, the U.S. did not follow for another twenty years. Martha Ackmann shares the dramatic events surrounding these thirteen exceptional women, all skilled pilots who sometimes sacrificed careers and relationships for a chance to join America’s space race against the Soviet Union. Ackmann conducted extensive interviews with the women and notable figures like Chuck Yeager and John Glenn, and includes never-before-seen photographs of the Mercury 13 during their Lovelace tests. Despite the disappointment of their dreams being sidelined, the Mercury 13 achieved extraordinary feats. Jerrie Cobb, a pioneering pilot, dedicated her life to solo missions in the Amazon; Wally Funk became one of the first female FAA investigators; and Janey Hart, the oldest astronaut candidate at forty, skillfully navigated congressional hearings and helped found the National Organization for Women. This tribute highlights their determination, resilience, and enduring hope.